Murrayfield Stadium#Tram

The SRU identified 19 acres of land at Murrayfield, purchasing this from Edinburgh Polo Club at Murrayfield, having raised money through debentures.{{cite news |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12541855.Changed_days_as_the_home_of_Scottish_rugby_takes_on_world_of_big_business_From_cricket_pitch_to_a_cash_____________jackpot/ |title=Changed days as the home of Scottish rugby takes on world of big business From cricket pitch to a cash jackpot |work=The Herald |date=4 March 1995 |access-date=14 January 2016}} A stand and three embankments were constructed, which took two years. Previous internationals had been played at Inverleith{{cite news |url=https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/scottish-flashback-murrayfield-snow-1963-1514133 |title=Scottish Flashback: Murrayfield in the snow, 1963 |work=The Scotsman |date=28 January 2015 |access-date=13 December 2015}} but it was not large enough to cope with the increasing number of spectators.{{cite book |last1=Martin |first1=Don |title=Edinburgh & Glasgow Railway guidebook |date=1992 |publisher=Strathkelvin District Libraries & Museums |location=Glasgow |isbn=0904966348 |page=67}} Arthur Sellers was the stadium's first groundsman, having previously prepared the pitches at Inverleith.The man who prepares the pitches. Edinburgh Evening News. 27 February 1932. p. 17 On 21 March 1925 {{nrut|England}} were the first team to visit Murrayfield, with 70,000 people watching {{nrut|Scotland}} beat them to win their first Five Nations Championship Grand Slam.[https://www.raeburnplacefoundation.org/rugby-beginnings/interactive-timeline/scotland-s-first-grand-slam-win 1925 - Scotland’s first Grand Slam win], Raeburn Place Foundation

During the Second World War the ground at Murrayfield was offered to the nation and was taken over by the Royal Army Service Corps and used as a supply depot. During the war years the armed forces sports authorities managed to arrange two Scotland v. England services internationals each year, on a home-and-away basis. Scotland's home matches were played at Inverleith for the first two years with a return to Murrayfield in 1944 after that ground's derequisition.

File:BT Murrayfield Stadium - geograph.org.uk - 5712657.jpg]]

File:BT Murrayfield Stadium (geograph 5690526).jpg

Murrayfield's record attendance of 104,000 was set on 1 March 1975 when Scotland defeated {{nrut|Wales}} 12–10 during the 1975 Five Nations Championship.{{cite web |url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/73600/edinburgh-roseburn-street-murrayfield-stadium |title=Edinburgh, Roseburn Street, Murrayfield Stadium |via=Canmore |publisher=Historic Environment Scotland |access-date=13 December 2015}} This attendance stood as a world record until 1999, and remains a European record. The East stand was built in 1983.{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12685727.How_Murrayfield_is_growing_great/ |title=How Murrayfield is growing great |work=The Herald |date=5 February 1994|access-date=19 November 2017}}

In October 1991 another debenture scheme was launched, to finance a more comprehensive redevelopment of the West Stand.{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12685828.The_debenture_scheme_delivers_delight/ |title=The debenture scheme delivers delight |work=The Herald |date=5 February 1994 |access-date=14 January 2016}} The new West Stand was designed with a 48-metre cantilever roof.{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12626927.Murrayfield_is_entering_a_bright_new_era/ |title=Murrayfield is entering a bright new era |work=The Herald |date=13 January 1993 |access-date=30 October 2017}} The old West Stand housed a museum, but this was not replaced and plans for a new visitor centre were shelved when the game turned professional.{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/return-of-murrayfield-museum-remains-beyond-sru-s-pocket-1-817699 |title=Return of Murrayfield museum remains beyond SRU's pocket |work=The Scotsman |date=16 July 2010 |access-date=29 October 2017}} The first phase was completed in January 1993 with the new north and south stands opening. In February 1994 the centre section of the new West Stand opened. The work was carried out by Tilbury Douglas.{{cite web|url=https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/archive/18feb93-uk-tilbury-scores-try-20m-stadium-redevelopment-cntract-18-02-1993/|title=18Feb93 UK: TILBURY SCORES TRY - £20M STADIUM REDEVELOPMENT CONTRACT.|work=constructionnews.co.uk/|date=18 February 1993 |access-date=22 March 2015}}

In 1994, Murrayfield completed a £50-million renovation where floodlights were installed for the first time.

In October 2012, SRU chief executive Mark Dodson told the BBC that it was actively seeking a name sponsor for Murrayfield:{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/20128230 |title=Murrayfield could be renamed for right price – Scottish Rugby |publisher=BBC Sport |date=29 October 2012 |access-date=30 October 2012}}

The single biggest piece of our inventory is our national stadium. We would like to see if we can monetise that. It would be crazy for us not to look at using our single biggest piece of inventory to drive revenue. We want to get the right price for it.

Scottish Rugby and Scottish Gas agreed a new five-year partnership deal starting in July 2023. This will result in the creation of a Club & Community Net Zero Fund worth £2 million to ensure Scottish clubs can save on energy bills and carbon emissions. Scottish Gas will also invest in the women's game through shirt and stadium sponsorship, resulting in an official name change for the stadium to Scottish Gas Murrayfield.{{Cite web |last=Gould |first=Caitlin |date=2023-07-13 |title=Scottish Gas teams up with Scottish Rugby for a greener Scotland |url=https://scottishrugby.org/scottish-gas-teams-up-with-scottish-rugby-for-a-greener-scotland/ |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=Scottish Rugby |language=en-US}}

Murrayfield is located next to Murrayfield Ice Rink, Murrayfield Curling Rink, and is close to Edinburgh Zoo. It is named after the area of Edinburgh it is located in, Murrayfield. There are two cricket pitches in the immediate vicinity at Roseburn Park used by Murrayfield DAFS CC and four rugby pitches owned by the SRU which were used by teams including the amateur club Murrayfield Wanderers RFC. Wanderers and their predecessors had played there since 1902 but were asked to vacate in 2018 as the governing body had plans to develop the land.[https://www.theoffsideline.com/sty-send-wanderers-on-their-way/ SRU send Wanderers on their way – despite club's significant investment in Murrayfield estate], The Offside Line, 30 July 2018[https://www.murrayfieldwanderersfootballclub.com/a/history-9110.html History], Murrayfield Wanderers RFC Wanderers moved their training base to Roseburn but continued to hire the Murrayfield pitches for some matches.

The stadium is served by Lothian Bus services 12, 22, 26, 31 and the Airlink 100 along Corstorphine Road.{{cite web |url=https://lothianbuses.co.uk/assets/files/Murrayfield-east-lb.pdf |title=Getting to BT Murrayfield from Edinburgh City Centre |publisher=Lothian Buses |access-date=22 October 2017}}{{cite web |url=https://lothianbuses.co.uk/assets/files/Murrayfield-west-lb.pdf |title=Getting to BT Murrayfield from Edinburgh Airport and Ingliston or Hermiston Park & Ride |publisher=Lothian Buses |access-date=22 October 2017}} Post-match traffic congestion is common along this route.

Despite the line running adjacent to the stadium, the closest railway station to the stadium is {{rws|Haymarket}}, which lies a mile to the East.

Interchange with the Edinburgh Trams is available at Haymarket, {{rws|Edinburgh Park}} and {{rws|Edinburgh Gateway}} stations. {{rws|Edinburgh Waverley}} is a short walk from the St Andrew Square tram stop.

Murrayfield Stadium tram stop is located adjacent to the stadium entrance turnstiles on Roseburn Street. Access to the platform is by a flight of stairs or lift. As part of crowd-management measures, ticketing machines are situated at the bottom of the staircase and not the platform.

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{{s-rail|title=Edinburgh Trams}}

{{Rail line|previous=Haymarket
towards Newhaven |next=Balgreen
towards Airport|route=Newhaven - Edinburgh Airport|col={{temporary rail colour|8D122A}} }}

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File:MurrayfieldStadium2002.jpg

File:MurrayfieldRugbyWorldCup.JPG

Murrayfield is used for most Scottish international rugby union matches, with all Scotland's Six Nations home games being played in the stadium. The stadium also hosted all of Edinburgh's matches between 1996 and January 2017. (For Pro14 matches, only the lower tier of the East Stand is typically used.)

Since February 2018 all Edinburgh matches are once again held at Murrayfield; with work now finished on the construction of a new 7,800 capacity stadium on the back pitches to host Edinburgh Rugby from the start of the 2021/22 season.

From 2007 to 2011, Murrayfield hosted the Edinburgh 7s, then the final event in the annual IRB Sevens World Series (now known as SVNS) in rugby sevens, but that tournament was moved to Glasgow starting in 2012 due to low attendance. Murrayfield hosted select matches from the 2007 Rugby World Cup. The stadium also hosted the Heineken Cup Final in 2005, when Toulouse beat Stade Français 18–12, again in 2009, with Leinster defeating Leicester 19–16 and finally in 2017 with Saracens defeating Clermont 28–17.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8057916.stm |title=Leicester 16–19 Leinster |publisher=BBC Sport |date=23 May 2008}}

Murrayfield hosted matches of the 1991, 1999 and 2007 Rugby World Cups.

Although primarily a rugby union stadium, Murrayfield hosted the Rugby League Challenge Cup Finals of 2000 and 2002. The stadium hosted rugby league's Super League Magic Weekend in 2009. The record for a rugby league attendance at the stadium is 67,247 for the 2000 Challenge Cup Final.

Murrayfield has also hosted association football matches. In December 2003, the SRU board agreed to let local Scottish Premier League side Heart of Midlothian F.C. (Hearts) lease the stadium for match days.{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/competitions/premiership/hearts-get-go-ahead-for-ground-switch-to-murrayfield-1-496509 |title=Hearts get go-ahead for ground switch to Murrayfield |work=The Scotsman |date=4 December 2003|access-date=29 October 2017}} Later that month, UEFA confirmed that Hearts' own ground, Tynecastle did not meet the minimum criteria for European matches from the 2004–05 season.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/heart_of_midlothian/3341135.stm |title=Tynecastle not fit for Europe |publisher=BBC Sport |date=22 December 2003 |access-date=5 January 2013}} Hearts used Murrayfield as their home venue for European matches for three years{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/5341280.stm |title=Hearts 0-2 Sparta Prague |publisher=BBC Sport |date=14 September 2006 |access-date=5 January 2013}} until Hearts made adjustments to Tynecastle that made it compliant with UEFA regulations.{{cite web |url=http://www.heartsfc.co.uk/articles/20040702/tynecastle-stadium-1981-present_2241548_537219 |quote=2005: Plans were produced for a new Main Stand that could take the capacity of the stadium up to 25,000. In the meantime, the removal of 280 seats from the front of the Gorgie and Roseburn Stands allowed the club to extend the length of the playing pitch to meet UEFA Cup requirements. The capacity of the ground is now 17,400. |title=Tynecastle Stadium: 1981-present |work=heartsfc.co.uk |publisher=Heart of Midlothian FC |access-date=5 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616012023/http://www.heartsfc.co.uk/articles/20040702/tynecastle-stadium-1981-present_2241548_537219 |archive-date=16 June 2013}} Additionally, both Hearts and Edinburgh neighbours Hibernian have played preseason friendlies against FC Barcelona at Murrayfield.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/heart_of_midlothian/6920774.stm |title=Classy Barcelona toy with Hearts |publisher=BBC Sport |date=28 July 2007 |access-date=5 January 2013}}{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/hibernian/2456202/Hibernian-handed-six-of-the-best-by-rampant-Barcelona-at-Murrayfield.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/hibernian/2456202/Hibernian-handed-six-of-the-best-by-rampant-Barcelona-at-Murrayfield.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Hibernian handed six of the best by rampant Barcelona at Murrayfield |first=Ewing |last=Grahame |work=Daily Telegraph |date=25 July 2008 |access-date=5 January 2013}}{{cbignore}} Almost 58,000 people attended to watch Hearts play Barcelona in July 2007, recording the largest crowd at an association football match in Edinburgh for 51 years.{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/champions-league-celtic-to-play-at-murrayfield-1-3074428 |title=Champions League: Celtic to play at Murrayfield |first=Graham |last=Bean |work=The Scotsman |date=5 September 2013 |access-date=15 May 2014}}

In 2014, Glasgow club Celtic played two qualifying matches at the stadium due to Celtic Park being unavailable because of Glasgow's hosting of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48542800 |title=Liverpool to play friendly against Napoli at Murrayfield in July |publisher=BBC Sport |date=6 June 2019 |access-date=6 June 2019}} Hearts again used the stadium for home games during the 2017–18 Scottish Premiership, due to the delays in construction of a new main stand at Tynecastle.{{cite news |url=http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hearts/hearts-to-stage-games-at-murrayfield-due-to-main-stand-delay-1-4521745 |title=Hearts to stage games at Murrayfield due to main stand delay |first=Barry |last=Anderson |work=Edinburgh Evening News |date=3 August 2017 |access-date=4 August 2017}} Murrayfield hosted one of the 2018–19 Scottish League Cup semi-finals, played between Hearts and Celtic, in October 2018. That match attracted an attendance of 61,161, the second-largest ever recorded for a football match in Edinburgh.{{cite news |url=https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hearts/hearts-celtic-semi-final-is-second-largest-football-attendance-in-edinburgh-1-4821021 |title=Hearts-Celtic semi-final is second largest football attendance in Edinburgh |first=Peter |last=Wales |work=Edinburgh Evening News |date=28 October 2018 |access-date=6 June 2019}} In July 2019, Murrayfield hosted a pre-season friendly between Liverpool and Napoli, that attracted a crowd of 65,442 which was the highest attendance of fans at a football match in Scotland since the 1989 Scottish Cup Final.{{Cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/17800490.liverpool-0-napoli-3-champions-league-winners-slump-heavy-defeat-murrayfield/ |title=Liverpool 0 Napoli 3: Champions League winners slump to heavy defeat at Murrayfield |first=Matthew |last=Lindsay |work=The Herald |date=28 July 2019 |access-date=4 August 2019}} On 19 July 2023, Manchester United faced Olympique Lyonnais at Murrayfield in front of a crowd of 48,484.{{Cite web |title=United 1 Lyon 0 |url=https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/man-utd-v-lyon-match-report-and-video-highlights-hub-19-july-2023 |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=www.manutd.com |language=en}} On 20 March 2024, it was announced that Manchester United would return for the second successive year to play a pre-season match at Murrayfield, taking on Rangers on 20 July 2024.{{Cite web |last=Cruickshank |first=Sarah |date=2024-03-20 |title=Manchester United and Rangers to face off at Scottish Gas Murrayfield |url=https://scottishrugby.org/rangers-and-manchester-united-to-face-off-at-scottish-gas-murrayfield/ |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=Scottish Rugby |language=en-US}} in front of 56,574

Murrayfield has played host to American football and was one of two home venues for the now defunct Scottish Claymores in the NFL Europa between 1995 and 2004, the other being Hampden Park in Glasgow. Additionally, it hosted World Bowl '96 on 23 June 1996. It has been mentioned{{by whom|date=November 2022}} as a potential future host site for the NFL International Series, should the National Football League add future games outside the series' current permanent home, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Two other London stadiums, Wembley Stadium and Twickenham Stadium, are the only other grounds in Britain to host NFL matches.{{Cite web |title=The NFL International Series {{!}} NFL Football Operations |url=https://operations.nfl.com/journey-to-the-nfl/the-nfl-s-international-impact/the-nfl-international-series/ |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=operations.nfl.com |language=en-US}}

David Bowie played to a capacity crowd of 47,000 people on 28 June 1983.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=i8JAAAAAIBAJ&pg=3422%2C5998294 |title=Acclaim in the rain |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=29 June 1983 |page=1 |access-date=24 October 2017}} Simple Minds were scheduled to play at the stadium in 1989, but pulled out because of Jim Kerr's objections to the venue's administrators allowing Scottish rugby players to attend the sport's centenary celebrations in South Africa, which was then still under apartheid.The Q Encyclopedia of Rock Stars by Dafydd Rees and Luke Crampton, Dorling Kindersley 1999, page 910 On 30 June 1996, Tina Turner played at Murrayfield as part of her Wildest Dreams Tour. In September 1997 U2 played at Murrayfield as part of their Popmart Tour.{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12294390.U2_criticised_for_holding_Murrayfield_concert/ |title=U2 criticised for holding Murrayfield concert |work=The Herald |date=3 September 1997 |access-date=29 October 2017}} On 3 June 1999, The Rolling Stones played to 51,000 on their No Security Tour.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/360765.stm |title=The Stones (and the years) roll on |work=BBC News |date=4 June 1999 |access-date=24 October 2017}} On 8 July 1999 Celine Dion performed her Let's Talk About Love World Tour as she sold out the full venue of 67,000, on her first ever show in Scotland. In July 2005, Murrayfield hosted the final Live 8 concert, Edinburgh 50,000 – The Final Push, with performances including James Brown, Texas and The Proclaimers. Oasis played a sold-out show on 17 June 2009, as part of their world tour. Some antisocial behaviour at this event affected the stadium's licensing arrangements when they were reviewed a few months later.{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/murrayfield-ordered-to-bid-for-booze-licence-before-every-gig-1-1215584 |title=Murrayfield ordered to bid for booze licence before every gig|work=The Scotsman |date=18 August 2009 |access-date=24 October 2017}} This was the last time Oasis would play a concert in Scotland{{cite web |title=Supersonic: The inside story of Oasis at Loch Lomond |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19588382.oasis-loch-lomond-25-years/ |website=HeraldScotland |date=18 September 2021 |access-date=24 October 2021 |language=en}} and the second time they had played the stadium, the first being on their Standing on the Shoulder of Giants Tour in 2000.{{cite web |title=BBC News {{!}} SCOTLAND {{!}} Oasis roll with the punches |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/857105.stm |website=BBC News |access-date=24 October 2021}}

Bon Jovi performed at the stadium on 22 June 2011 as part of their tour.{{cite web|url=http://www.bonjovi.com/permanent/show/22K1S1v2 |title=Bon Jovi Live 2011 Tour Page |publisher=Island Records |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727103512/http://www.bonjovi.com/permanent/show/22K1S1v2 |archive-date=27 July 2011 }} Madonna performed to a sell-out crowd of 52,160 on 21 July 2012 as part of her MDNA Tour. On 3 June 2014, One Direction performed to over 64,000 fans at Murrayfield as part of their Where We Are Stadium Tour. Foo Fighters performed at Murrayfield Stadium as part of their Sonic Highways World Tour on 8 September 2015. The band were originally supposed to play Murrayfield on 23 June 2015 but this was cancelled and rescheduled after Dave Grohl broke his foot at European Festival that same month.{{cite news |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/music/music-reviews/review-foo-fighters-murrayfield-stadium-6407875 |title=Review: Foo Fighters at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh |first=John |last=Dingwall |work=Daily Record |date=8 September 2015 |access-date=28 November 2021}} The Spice Girls performed to over 55,000 fans on 8 June 2019 as part of their Spice World tour, it was their first Scottish concert in 21 years. Taylor Swift broke the all time Scottish concert attendance record 3 times when The Eras Tour came to Murrayfield for 3 nights on 7, 8 and 9 June 2024, playing to 73,000 people each night, and nearly 220,000 people over the 3 nights.

• Rugby union in Scotland
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{{reflist|40em}}

{{Commons category}}

• [https://www.scottishrugby.org/tickets-and-events/getting-to-bt-murrayfield Getting to BT Murrayfield] on scottishrugby.org website

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{{succession box

| title=Rugby World Cup Sevens
host venue

| before=None

| after=Hong Kong Stadium
Hong Kong

| years=1993

}}

{{succession box

| title=Heineken Cup
final venue

| before=Twickenham
London

| after=Millennium Stadium
Cardiff

| years=2004–05

}}

{{succession box

| title=Heineken Cup
final venue

| before=Millennium Stadium
Cardiff

| after=Stade de France
Paris

| years=2008–09

}}

{{s-bef|rows=2|before=Parc Olympique Lyonnais
Lyon}}

{{s-ttl|title=European Rugby Champions Cup
Final Venue|years=2016–17}}

{{s-aft|rows=2|after=San Mamés Stadium
Bilbao}}

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{{s-ttl|title=European Rugby Challenge Cup
Final Venue|years=2016–17}}

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{{Rugby union in Scotland}}

{{Scotland national rugby union team}}

{{1991 Rugby World Cup Venues}}

{{1999 Rugby World Cup Venues}}

{{European Rugby Champions Cup Final venues}}

{{2007 Rugby World Cup Venues}}

{{Six Nations Championship}}

{{United Rugby Championship}}

{{Super League venues}}

{{World Rugby Sevens Series venues}}

{{Culture and leisure facilities in Edinburgh}}

{{Buildings and Structures in Edinburgh}}

{{Football in Edinburgh}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:American football venues in Scotland

Category:Football venues in Edinburgh

Category:Music venues in Edinburgh

Scotland

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Category:Rugby union in Edinburgh

Category:Rugby union stadiums in Scotland

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Category:Sports venues completed in 1925

Category:Edinburgh Rugby

Category:Scottish Professional Football League venues

Category:Edinburgh Trams stops

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